Episode 171 - Piloting Change: Exploring Web3 Innovations for Real-World Impact, ft. Mercy Corps Ventures, Empowa, and Atlantis

Crypto Altruists: Real-World Stories of Social & Environmental Impact with Web3

In episode 171, which is part 1 of a 2-part series, we’re excited to welcome five amazing guests: Njeri Muhia and Abeera Akhtar from Mercy Corps Ventures, Greg Schneider and Marie-Odile Zanders from Empowa, and Irthu Suresh from Atlantis. We explore the pilot projects that Empowa and Atlantis recently completed with the help of Mercy Corps Ventures which leverage Web3 to scale climate-resilient housing in Mozambique and improve clean water access in India. We discuss the key findings, challenges, and impacts of these projects.
--Key Takeaways--

• In Mozambique, it is very difficult for the average individual to purchase a home. This is especially true as many individuals in Africa have informal or inconsistent incomes, making it difficult to get a mortgage. Empowa addresses this through their unique on-chain Rent-to-own project where individuals contribute capital over time to the principle as they pay their rent.
• When it comes to climate resilience, access to clean water is essential. Currently, access to energy and water is highly centralized in India. However, these centralized networks can be susceptible to climate shocks. To address this, Atlantis explored how decentralized networks can help communities coordinate around clean water access and build greater resiliency to climate shocks.
• When designing Web3 interventions, especially in traditionally underserved and excluded communities, it is important to focus on building solutions that are easy to use and don’t require the user to have knowledge of Web3. Blockchain is simply the plumbing behind the initiative.

--Full shownotes with links available at--
https://www.cryptoaltruism.org/blog/crypto-altruism-podcast-episode-171-piloting-change-exploring-web3-innovations-for-real-world-impact-ft-mercy-corps-ventures-empowa-and-atlantis

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--DISCLAIMER --
While we may discuss specific web3 projects or cryptocurrencies on this podcast, please do not take any of this as investment advice, and please make sure to do your own research on potential investment opportunities, or any opportunity, before making an investment. We host a variety of guests on this podcast with the sole purpose of highlighting the social impact use cases of this technology. That being said, Crypto Altruism does not endorse any of these projects, and we recognize that, since this is an emerging sector, some may be operating in regulatory grey areas, and as such, we cannot confirm their legality in the jurisdictions in which they operate, especially as it pertains to decentralized finance protocols. So, before getting involved with any project, it’s important that you do your own research and confirm the legality of the project. More on the disclaimer at cryptoaltruism.org.